From the California Area High School Burgundian
Catch 22 - Alone In A Crowd
by XXPunkgrrl_22XX
Catch 22 - Alone In A Crowd
by Alexandra Bennett
New Jersey-based ska/punk band Catch 22’s latest release, “Alone in a Crowd,” is the masterpiece that many may never have expected from them. Not because they lack talent, but because in their five years together as a band, they’ve experienced so much that it is only a testament to their hard work and dedication that they’ve made it this far.
The band’s lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist left the band three years ago, after the release of their first CD, “Keasbey Nights”, and many fans wondered if they would be able to continue without him at the helm. But like the Mick Foley of ska, the band persevered and continued to create energetic ska music after adding a few new members. This upset some fans, who claimed that the band was abandoning their old style, and that they could never be as good as they had been.
However, “Alone in a Crowd” will prove those naysayers wrong. It blends the jazz-influenced ska of “Keasbey Nights” with the harder-hitting sound of more recent Catch 22 work, perfectly balancing the “old” Catch 22 sound with the “new” Catch 22 sound.
The CD starts off with “Point the Blame”, attacking the critics who said they’d never be good enough, and from there, they prove their point, rocking through 13 energetic songs. Especially creative are the standout “Birdseye Glen” trilogy of songs, which tell the soap opera tale of a Bonnie-and-Clyde-like couple, who murder for love, and then break up, but the catchy, chant-along choruses mask the somber subject matter. The rest of the disc is full of great songwriting and pure musical talent.
Check out www.njcatch22.com or www.wrestle.to/catch22 for more information on Catch 22.
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